It All Started With a Birthday
by Woody2792
Summary: Set of Hameron tales, documenting their relationship from the start. A bit fluffy, but some parts not so much. Hard to explain really...
1. A Day Off

**I'm re-posting all the first 8, the 9th will be up soon. All have been edited.**

**Please R and R, **

**Woody2792x**

* * *

A Day Off

_Cameron has a day off work and House is his usual nosy self..._

He limped into his office and shut the door behind him. It had not been a great night with his leg, but the aroma of Cameron's coffee was sure to make up for that. Looking through the wall into the diagnostics room, he saw two of his ducklings crowded around the coffee machine, whispering to each other with forcefully quiet voices. He gradually grew more and more suspicious as they threw several nervous glances around them, not yet having seen him. Chase reached up into the cupboard and grabbed the pack of coffee, but before he could ruin the coffee maker, House had travelled over to him, and poked him in the back with his walking stick.

'How many times do I have to tell you not to touch the coffee maker? I prefer drinking coffee, not sludge; if I wanted sludge then I'd get Wilson to buy me a 'coffee' from the canteen. And don't even try to say you weren't going to make some – I know that look in your eye, it's the same when you see me writing on the board with a magical marker.'

Foreman and Chase simply looked at each other in a helpless manner, not sure of what to do or say.

'Where's the other duckling then? Cameron's usually in and has made coffee by now.'

Chase nudged Foreman's elbow, clearly trying to avoid an additional situation.

'She's not in today House.'

'What do you mean not in today? She never came to me for the day off.'

'She went to Cuddy.'

He gave no response other than a whoosh as he turned on his heel and the slam of the door, glad of a chance to go head to head with Cuddy at this time in the morning about something other than clinic. However, as soon as he entered the office, having scared the new assistant, Cuddy was straight on his case.

'House, go and do your clinic hours.'

'Why isn't Cameron here today?'

'She asked for a day off, and I cleared it. Go to clinic.'

'Why though, _why_ is she off?'

'Go to clinic, and maybe I'll tell you later.'

'No fair mommy, I wanna know now.'

He pouted as Cuddy grabbed his arm and walked him to the clinic. She spoke to the receptionist quickly, before shoving him into an exam room.

'Don't let him disappear; he has too many hours to do.'

'Abuse! See what this so called doctor does to cripples like me?!'

The door was shut on his protestations, and he turned around, ready to sit on the bed and play with his PSP, but was faced with a patient instead…

*

An hour and 3 patients later, House peeped around his door. He was bored with clinic – the patients were worse than tiny children, and even the bed did not seem as comfy as they day before. So, he began to stage Operation Glass. The receptionist was still there, looking as attentive as she had before; she must have been new – nobody lasted as long as she did without more mugs of coffee. So House paged Wilson down to his room, and pulled him inside by his tie before he had even had a chance to knock.

'People will start talking you know.'

'Only if you kiss and tell Jimmy boy. Now, I want you to flirt with the receptionist; shouldn't be too hard, all _you'll_ have to do is talk to her.'

'Now that's just hurtful, I–'

'Come off it. And while you're at it, make her face the other way too.'

'You're sneaking out, aren't you.'

'And the boy wonder's got it again! And don't worry, I'll keep your name out of it if the devil catches me. Go Jimmy, go, it's your big chance.'

Wilson rolled his eyes at House; it was easier at times like these to just do what he wanted rather than argue and defend himself. So he went and had a nice chat to Karia, and was about to put the Wild Card of coffee later on the table, but he saw House's limp disappearing through the main doors. With an apology of having patients to see, he too made his escape.

*

It did not take long for House to reach Cameron's apartment door, and he issued a sharp series of taps while he waited. The door opened, and a tired looking Cameron looked around the edge of it. She ushered him in, and waved a hand towards the sofa; he took it as a cue that he could sit down, so he did so, making himself at home and resting his right leg along the length of it. She took a seat in the chair opposite, running a hand through her hair before speaking.

'House, what are you doing here? You have two other perfectly good people in your department to help with any case you have, if you needed a consult you could have paged me, and it's my day off.'

'My, someone's grumpy today aren't they?'

'No, I just thought that maybe you'd leave me alone, on my day off, to get a little peace and quiet.'

'Simply from the way you answered the door, you were expecting it to be me.'

'Why are you here?'

'Why aren't you at work?'

'I took the day off, I cleared it with Cuddy, and I am allowed some leave every few years, even if it is only one day.'

House was surprised at her snarky-ness – she was learning well – but this did not deter him. He asked a question, wondering if she would lie or not.

'Why did you want the day off?'

'It's my birthday; I wanted a lie in and a long relaxing bath. I didn't want to have to wait on you guys in the office, making coffee; for once I wanted to put me first.'

House just looked at her, tipping his head slightly to one side before nodding. He then proceeded to simply sit on her sofa, taking in everything around him. The walls were painted a warm peach/cream colour, and there was a definite homey feel to everything; there were books strewn across the shelves from being picked up and placed back with speed, there was a pile of medical journals and reference books on the table, obviously in use. His mind grew still as he sat there, the silence surrounding him and Cameron. She took a deep breath and shifted slightly in her seat before addressing him in a calm tone, one betraying the fact she had little strength left.

'House, why are you here? It clearly isn't because my birthday, because not only would it be completely un-House-ian to give me a present, or even care about my birthday, but you don't have one,' she gestured towards his empty hands, 'and you now know why I'm not at work.'

House sat up straight in his chair, and turned to face Cameron completely.

'That's just an assumption and generalisation. Presents don't have to have a physical form; like a hug.'

'You don't hug anyone House, hell; you have as little bodily contact as is physically possible with everyone other than your hookers.'

'Did I say it was a hug? Now, contrary to your statement that I wouldn't care, it's your birthday, and I came here with that in mind. I knew exactly why you took the day off, and that you're now–'

'How do you know that?! No, wait, you read my file?'

'Clever duckling;' The sarcasm oozed through his words, something he was trying to contain on this trip, 'now come here for your present.'

He stood up and opened his arms; Cameron tentatively stepped into them, and he felt her relaxing into the embrace as he closed them around her, holding her close to his chest. He rested his head on her shoulder, burying his head into the crook of her neck. It felt so right to him to be holding her petite frame like this, up against him, his arms encircling her protectively. He felt her breath hitch as he rubbed his thumbs up against her waist, causing her to stand even closer to him. The apple scent of her hair was hypnotising, even to a man like him who never took any notice of tiny things like that. Cautiously he raised his head a little, stopping when his mouth was in line with her ear. He spoke in a low, husky voice, allowing a smile to ghost his lips when he felt her shiver in response.

'Cameron, you have to understand, I will probably rarely ever find these words again, and if I do, they'll take just as long as these ones have. But... Every time I've seen you recently, I've had to fight myself in order to stop myself from coming over to you and holding you like I am now. But my present to you is this.'

She leaned back so she could look into his eyes.

'House, I'm confused...'

'Don't be. I'll make this as clear as I can, and if you don't understand, then I'll explain fully.'

Keeping one hand pressing against her lower back to keep her flush with him, and raised his other to cup her face; he traced the line of her jaw with his thumb. Slowly, he leant in, giving his duckling plenty of time to pull away, before he captured her lips with his. He worked his hand round from her jaw to her ear, while tangled in her hair too. They kissed slowly at first, both a little shocked at what they were doing, before it became more passionate. Eventually, House pulled away and looked into the sea-green-cum-sea-blue eyes.

'Understand now?'

'I think so. Care to explain anyway?' She raised an eyebrow, looking deeply into his eyes.

'Me. I'm giving me to you. I've finally learnt to share, and I can think of no one I'd rather share myself with than you. Not even _Wilson_;' House looked around, to check they were alone before whispering, 'he gets so clingy sometimes!'

Cameron rolled her eyes, smiling. 'So. You're now mine then, huh? Well, thank you, I lo–ike my gift very much.' A light blush covered her cheeks at the mistake she had nearly made, and House saw this.

'I still haven't done it yet. I always make serious things a joke; what I'm trying to say, is that I may have been a jerk, I may continue to be a jerk, but Allison Cameron, I think I'm in love with you.'

He did not have time to react, cuss or in any way run away from the situation he had created, for which had to thank the body pressed up against him. With tears running down her face, Cameron had reached up and looped both arms around him, kissing his lips, and pulled him gently onto the sofa. She leaned on an arm to face him, and placed a small kiss onto his cheek and lay her head on his chest.

'This was the best birthday, ever.'


	2. Lab Coat

**Here's the second one! As always, please R and R**

**Woody2792x**

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Lab Coat

_Why is House wearing his lab coat??_

House entered Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and immediately limped towards the lift. He kept his head down to avoid the stares of shock that followed him, and had to keep his temper under control as there were whispers following him too. True to form, he entered his office and sat on his chair, legs on the desk, and took his PSP from his pocket. There was no current case for the ducklings to work on, so they were sitting around the conference table, doing the wombat's crossword for him while they were all drinking Cameron's coffee. Cameron. The word rolled off his tongue smoother than oil off the surface of water, and sure did taste nicer...

The familiar clicking of heels down the corridor roused him from his thoughts, so he concentrated really hard on trying to get a high score, fixing an intense expression on his face. As predicted, his door swung open, and the devil herself stepped through it, speaking as she did so.

'House, I want you down the clinic, now.'

'But mommy, I got this new game and I've got to practice to get good!'

'House, just get your ass down there.'

'Oh, so we're commenting now then? Well, as per usual, the twins are curious to meet everyone; you really should get some day-work clothes and wear them, not your night time ones.'

'Get down there, or I'll double your hours.'

With a deep sigh, House swung his legs from the desk top, put his PSP into sleep mode before placing it into his pocket, and then he grabbed his cane and limped past Cuddy and her gaping mouth. Once he had signed into the clinic, he grabbed the least snotty looking person and got them into Exam Room 2. They then sat in a companionable silence for twenty minutes, before the patient asked if he was going to be seen to.

'Oh, is _that_ what you wanted? I thought you just wanted the company. Silly me.' The charming expression dropped from House's face quicker than the patient could understand which doctor was with him. Ten minutes later he had a prescription clutched in his hand, and looked as though he would have run from the Exam Room, had he not been in so much pain.

*

Lunch time came, as did Wilson with his daily 'offer' of a Reuben and drink. Their conversation in the canteen revolved around the usual; House insulted Wilson over his flirtations and bald patients, and Wilson retaliated with comments over how many complaints he had received that day. There were more than the usual stares, but House shrugged them off, if they even tried to comment, they would regret it. While Wilson was distracted chatting to a nurse, House grabbed a handful of his fries and vanished – there was a small chance he could outsmart Cuddy, and hide from clinic duty in his office.

He managed to stay away from her all afternoon, only for her to try and sink her claws in him as he was preparing to leave the office. With a tired roll of his eyes, he turned to face her and gave a loud sigh.

'What is it? Are the twins not getting enough attention? Or is it clinic? 'Cause you know I did my hours today.'

'Mm... House, it's been nagging at me all day, and I can't come up with any explanation other than you wanting to mess with everyone's head; why are you wearing your lab coat?'

'Ah. Now, _that_ would be telling.' House wondered which reason to use; did he say that it was to increase the certainty that no one would see the scratches on his shoulders/back (obviously, the blood would still be beading out of them)? Or did he go with the 'What are you talking about? I have no idea what you're talking about. You know I hate my lab coat'?

'Well Cuddles, I'm gonna have to say that I thought it would act as an extra layer of protection, should you and your funbags decide to want to escape.'

'I'll see you tomorrow House.'

Cuddy turned on her heel and escaped from the madness that was the diagnostics department.

*

House unlocked his Corvette and slumped into the driver's seat. He had little time to take the disgusting piece of clothing off and make another vow to burn it before Cameron got in next to him.

'So, why _were_ you wearing it?'

'To mess with Cuddy's head. And it worked... I may have to do it again one day.'

'Why _today_ though?'

'There were several good excuses I could have used, your birthday present being one.'

A blush spread across Cameron's face, and she bit her lip. She leaned a bit closer to House, and looked into his eyes.

'It's okay, you don't have to be embarrassed about last night, and nor do you have to worry about me biting your head off. You got into the 'vette without any issues; if I was having a bad day, or one where I just couldn't cope, you'd have to hitch a lift to your place with Wilson, or one of the other ducklings. As it is, you can stay at mine tonight, _again_.'

'Can we stop at mine first though? I need some more clothes, especially since we aren't telling anyone for a while – it'll just keep the façade up. '

'Sure. We can grab some food from your fridge at the same time too – I'm all out.'

Cameron rolled his eyes at him, and House could feel a small smile creeping onto his face. Whatever was going to happen between them, House realised that he was very lucky – she would not give up on him easily.


	3. A Grudge and a Closet

Trying to keep his voice and expression under control, House pulled Cameron into the supply closet with him; he shoved a chair under the door handle to barricade them in. He turned to face her, nearly pushing her against the shelves, maintaining a whisper of a voice as he spoke.

'What is your issue? And don't even try to tell me there isn't one, I know you better than that; hell, I knew you better than that in your first week of working for me.'

The diagnostician noted his duckling's momentary surprise, before her eyes narrowed and she changed her stance to a defensive one.

'Can you honestly say that you don't know? And here I was, having you pegged for a smart guy.'

House realised he would have to start teaching Cameron to be polite – it was not fair when she acted like him, to him!

'Would I be asking if I didn't know?'

'Don't answer a question with a question.'

'No. No I don't know what I've done to mortally wound your soul so much.'

They stood facing each other for a few seconds sizing each other up, the echo from their raised voices dying away. Whatever Cameron may say to the contrary, House reckoned he would be able to pin her against something if she wanted this to get physical; she could not be _that_ good at martial arts. Neither of them moved, their breathing slowing down and become less audible, until House decided enough was enough.

'Okay, this won't happen much in this... whatever we are... very much either. But I'm sorry. Better?'

'No, actually it isn't.' He rolled his eyes in response. 'House, I want to know that you know what upset me – I put up with a lot of your crap, and I don't want you to change, ever, but please, just so you can try and see where I'm coming from.'

Mentally, he put his thinking cap on, and retreated into the depths of his mind. As much as he would be unable to change, he _did_ want to keep this _thing_ between them going for as long as he could.

_Okay. It's gotta be last night... She wouldn't make a fuss of something a long time after it... what did we do last night? There was the General Hospital mini marathon, Chinese takeaway, bed... Nah. It _can't_ be bed. She did the coffee this morning, and had gone before I got showered... _

With the realisation hitting him, House focussed his eyes on the petite figure in front of him. A smirk made its way onto his face, and his eyebrows shot upwards onto his forehead.

'Are you serious? You're upset because I finished your bubble bath and used your apple shampoo?!'

'I had been really looking forward to a long, relaxing soak – it was a reward for doing all _your _paperwork this week, but when it had all gone this morning... I guess I just got caught up in it... It all sounds less serious now, but yes, that's about it. Besides, how can you use so much shampoo when you have so little hair?'

'Well, the scruffy, unkempt look must be maintained at all costs, even if it means I have to have a soak in the bath at the same time.'

House saw how embarrassed and sheepish Cameron was looking, her face covered with a light blush. He swallowed down a chuckle as he opened his arms and pulled her in for a hug.

'My silly duckling. Tell you what, we can stop off at the store on the way to mine after work and get you some more bubble bath, some hormone controllers, and a ticket for two, to the bath...'

'You know perfectly well I'm just tired House.' She slapped his arm lightly and sniffed, rubbing her eyes.

'Ow! Cripple abuse! Jeez, people should really learn who it's appropriate to hit.'

This made her giggle, and he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, deepening it when she opened her lips. Ironically, he did get to pin her against the shelves, as she walked backwards, dragging him with her; a loud bang also ensued as the shelves rocked against the wall. He ran his hands up and down her sides, as she clasped hers behind his head, holding him exactly where he was. A loud knock echoed through the closet, interrupting them for good when a voice filtered through as well.

'House! I know you're in there. And I also know you've jammed the door. So stop terrorising whoever you're with, stop whatever you're doing, and get your ass out here now. People heard you shouting, and it doesn't exactly encourage patients to relax.'

'Don't speak of the devil and she will arrive...' House murmured into Cameron's ear, as he straightened her shirt. She shushed him as she wiped any traces of gloss from his lips, a smile ghosting her lips. She reached up to fluff his hair as he began removing the chair; once they stepped outside House whispered comically to Cuddy,

'You know what she's like, hookie in the closet _really_ gets her going.'

As he started to limp off, he saw the Dean of Medicine raise an eyebrow enquiringly at Cameron, who shrugged before explaining, 'Don't worry, it was just a disagreement over treatment.'


	4. Sun and IceCream

**Fourth Part ^_^**

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Sun and Ice-Cream

_House takes Cameron somewhere special_

House grinned to himself as he tapped Cameron's butt with his cane. She looked back over her shoulder with a mix of a puzzled and irritated expression.

'House, why won't you walk next to me? Or even just tell me where to go, instead of steering me with your cane?'

'It's more fun this way. And besides, seen, in public, with you? Shock horror!'

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the front; House relented a little, and walked a little closer. They had ridden his motorbike to somewhere away from Princeton, in order for them to spend a relaxing day together. So, true to form, House had blindfolded her on the bike and made her grip him tightly, and now they were walking towards his planned destination. Once he heard the slight trickle of water in the distance, House limped faster until he was right behind Cameron, and placed one hand over her eyes – he did not want it ruined at the last hurdle. She wrapped her hands around his fingers, trying to pry them from her face, but his grip was too strong; eventually she gave up, but she did leave one hand over his.

House whispered into her ear as they slowed down their walking, 'Nearly there, but you just have to sit down first. After all, we would not want you to die from shock, hey?'

She smiled, trying not to chuckle, and sat down when he backed her against the bench. She took a deep breath and took her hand form his, and waited patiently for him to do the same. House gazed down at the brunette before him, and once again started questioning everything. What had he done to deserve such a beautiful person as Cameron to be his? He had not given any incentives to her, he had not made any promises, and nor did he have much to offer, yet here she was. She seemed happy with him, and this made House feel again. He had a purpose in life, one that was more meaningful than his job, and one he would do unconditionally from now on. There was very little that he would not do for Cameron, no matter what it cost him in body, spirit or money. She meant more to him than Stacey ever had, and this realisation scared him. He had thought it was the real thing with Stacey, until the infarction, but standing here now, he knew he had been wrong. For once in his life, he was not sorry about what happened to his leg.

'House, are you ever going to let me see where we are?'

'Yeah, but first, don't peek. I'll be back in… three minutes, 5 tops. And no peeking, otherwise you won't get what I'm getting you.'

She sunk down into the seat, resigned to her fate. House knew that she would not peek, no matter how much she wanted to – it just was not in her to do it. So he queued up, and ordered two large ice-creams, with flakes and sauce, and then he juggled them around a bit so he could use his cane; then he went back. He sat next to Cameron on the bench, placing his cane at his feet, and then took her hand, prised the fingers open, and placed the ice-cream in it, then spoke.

'Okay. Now you can look.'

She opened her eyes to look around, and then smiled. 'House, this is beautiful. Where are we?'

'A park. And you say you graduated from med school…'

That earned him a light slap on the arm, to he protested loudly, scaring a small child walking past.

'Cripple abuse! You saw that, didn't you? Bad Cameron.'

He glanced over at her, and snickered – she had started blushing, and became very interested in her ice-cream. They sat in relative silence for the next few minutes, eating ice-cream and absorbing heat from the sun. With a sideways glance, House saw Cameron had her eyes shut, bringing the ice-cream to her lips every so often. Carefully, he inched closer, being careful not to make too much noise or let the bench move too much. As Cameron rested her head backwards, House quickly snaffled the ice-cream from her grasp and took a huge chunk out of it before she looked at him.

'House! That was mine!'

'Mine now?'

'Fine. But you are _so_ cooking dinner tonight. Deal?'

'But mommy...'

'Deal, or I take _my_ ice-cream back.'

'Deal then...'

House pouted while licking Cameron's ice-cream, and she laughed at him, and then she hugged his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. Thoughtfully, he licked his ice-cream before he removed his arm from Cameron's grasp. He saw a flicker of emotions run through her eyes, before he lifted his arm up.

'What? Come on then – the sun's making me behave strangely.'

A smile made its way to his lips as she scooted closer to him, and his arm rested over her shoulder. He held her close and squeezed her arm, pulling her into him. Once the ice-cream was finished, House held her hand, and kissed the top of her head. Maybe it was sitting in the sun, or the fact she had relinquished ownership of her ice-cream, but something made House realise a very important fact. He was impossibly and deeply in love with the woman he held.


	5. A Card and a Tshirt

**Here's the fifth part; don't forget to review!**

* * *

A Card and a T-shirt

_It's Valentine's Day. Need I say more?_

House looked around him, panic rising up through him. There was a sea of men around him, all surging for the same area as he was – Valentine's Day cards. He and Cameron had not been 'dating' for all that long, yet he knew that, with her obsession of all other holidays, and general lovey-ness, that she would be disappointed if he did nothing for it. So, here he was, trying to find 'the perfect card' in a last minute rush. And that was not all. He still had to find the 'perfect gift' and buy it, maybe resorting to a bitch fight with another man if he tried to nab it too. So, House turned to underhand measures to get to the rack of cards. He upped the amount of limp in his step, groaning every other limp, and a grimace fixed on his face; he even threw in a good old stumble when he got closer. And it worked – the gap by the cards widened, just for him, and there was a personal space gap of at least 7 centimetres – double what the other men had. He kept the act up as he perused the cards in front of him; they were all loudly coloured, the jokes were bad and they had absolutely no taste in them whatsoever. As he turned to leave, one particular card caught his eye; it was not great, but it had made him think of smiling – it beat the others. So, he limped, grimaced and groaned his way to the queue, and was out quicker than most of the other people waiting, all thanks to that old lady near the front.

His next stop was at the shop that sold nearly anything. He limped through the aisles, a grumpy look fixed on his face that successfully scared people in his way. Seeing as he knew exactly what he was after, he went straight to the shelves that stocked popcorn, chocolate sauce, and a biro to write the card. With those bought, he then went to the jewellery shop – he needed, _wanted_, to get her something special. House did not normally go in for being touchy-feely, but this was one of the first opportunities he had to get Cameron a present, and he intended to make the most of it, despite the clichés.

They had agreed to meet at her apartment – she had offered to leave the door open for him, but he said Foreman had taught him lock-picking. In truth, he knew where her spare key was, so he simply let himself in. He limped along the wooden floor into her living room, and dumped the bag on the floor; no doubt they would watch some romantic chick-flick later. He saw an envelope lying on the table, with the trademark curly 'G' and House written on the front. With a sigh, he opened it, and looked at the card. Inside, was simply 'Go to the bedroom'. Without a second thought, House picked up his cane and limped through, the card still in his hand. Sitting on the bed, was Cameron, dressed in black hot pants, and a red t-shirt which had 'Unwrap Me' printed on it.

'You don't mince your words, do you?'

'Nope,' Cameron smiled, 'It's more fun to see your reaction this way.'

'So, where are all the pink decorations, the fluffy hearts, and tiny babies with wings and arrows?'

'You really thought I'd do something like that?'

'Well, you do seem to take it upon yourself to decorate the office at Christmas and Halloween, and bring eggs in at Easter.'

'Valentine's day is a hallmark holiday, which has more hype than meaning, and I consider it ridiculous that you need one day set aside each year to openly express how you feel towards those you love.'

'So what's up with this then?' House gestured towards her and the t-shirt with the card.

'I figured I should make some effort with you, especially on the first Valentine's Day we have together... And besides, I already had this t-shirt, so I thought it could be used for once...'

'Huh...' House smiled, before a low chuckle came from him.

'What?'

'I've spent all morning out, trying to get you something because I thought you were the all-out-for-holidays type of person, especially when it came to loved up cute ones.'

'Aww, thanks Greg,' House felt a shiver run up his spine when she said that; nobody used his first name these days, not even his mother used it very often. 'That means a lot to me.'

The sincerity in Cameron's eyes was obvious even to House.

'Come one then, come see what I got you.'

House took Cameron's hand and led her through to the living room – the irony only struck him when Cameron let out a little giggle. She took the plastic bag from him, and sorted through it.

'Right, well the sauce will go with the t-shirt, the popcorn... why?'

'I thought you'd have a film planned.'

'Well, we can always go out and rent one if you want.'

She paused when she saw the jewellery box, and looked at House tentatively. He nodded at her, and half looked away. There was a gasp as she opened it, followed by a huge hug and kiss. She held the box out to House, silently insisting he put it on her. She scooped her hair out of the way, and House fumbled with the catch. It was a white gold necklace, with a heart on it, a sapphire at the centre; with it on, he gently turned her to face him, and placed a kiss on her lips before talking.

'Dinner?'

'You know where the menus are.'

'Always the romantic, eh Cameron?'

'You can't mention that now, or I'll spill to everyone at work just who gave me this necklace, and how long we've been dating.'

'No you won't. Chinese?'

'Sounds good. And no, I wouldn't – I don't want to share you House. Except with Wilson, he wouldn't function without you – his whole routine would go wrong!'

'That's what I keep telling him, he doesn't seem to take it from me though...'

'Do you want the usual House?'

'Nah, keep it light. I've got pudding to look forward to.'


	6. Trip to the Cinema

**Sixth in this series, 9 is being written as I type =)**

**Hopefully you'll like this one enough to review - I found it reasonably funny...**

**Woody2792x**

* * *

Trip to the Cinema

_House causes havoc in the cinema_

Cameron gasped as House goosed her, in the middle of the day, while queuing up to buy tickets for the cinema. She turned around quickly, and wrinkled her nose at him in irritation.

'House, don't do that!'

'But you liked it last night...' He felt a grin make its way onto his face as she blushed. 'Or did I get that wrong?'

'House, not in public. Ever.'

'Or what?'

'No popcorn.' She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly thinking over whether that had been a big enough threat to hold. House cursed himself as he felt his resolve slipping; it was one thing to get a slap, or just words, but _no popcorn_?! Very little was worth that, and he could only guess as to what the next threat would be – his bed was made to hold two people, and he liked it that way.

'But... Mommy! That's just mean!'

'That's how it is. Either we see a film, and you don't do things like that in public, or we can go home now.'

'Huh. You've been spending too much time around Cuddy to learn to pull that off like you just did... I'm gonna have to talk to her about talking to you – it's up to me to train my girlfriend, not her.'

Cameron smiled at him and simply walked over to the counter to buy tickets to see Avatar and food – she had finally relented when he made dinner the night before; it was not a huge price for him to have paid, especially since it required no money. However, if all went to plan this week, he had a surprise for her after the next benefit dinner...

He quickly limped after her and grabbed his _large_ box of popcorn, shocked when he realised he would have to share. His protestations were quickly silenced by Cameron's raised eyebrow, and they went to find their seats. Luckily, their seats were next to the aisle, and the cinema was pretty empty – it was unlikely that they were going to have to move for the remaining three empty seats in their row, even though they were near the back.

The lights dimmed soon after they were settled, and it was not long before House started misbehaving again. He smacked Cameron's hand as she tried to take some popcorn; on her second attempt, he grabbed her wrist, and snaffled the piece before putting it in his own mouth. Eventually he lost interest and let her eat; after all, she _had_ taken their drink hostage...

When the film actually started, there was a brief interval where he was too distracted to do anything, but once Cameron was totally immersed in the plot, House snaked his arm around her shoulders. Like he knew she would, she leaned into his shoulder and snuggled in. Luckily, he was already armed, so he only had to subtly twist his hand to get the angle right... and wham! That was it. Cameron glared at House while digging popcorn out from her top and bra, before grabbing a handful of her own and shoving it right down his shirt – it was definitely going to be a lot harder for _him_ to get it out...

It was not very long before the people around them became agitated, and Cameron decided it would be easier if they left the screen and continued outside. As soon as they got out of the cinema doors, the fight began – popcorn was hurled, and laughter was heard. Cameron managed to back House towards a grassy patch near the path, and it did not take much for her to tackle him. The look on her face when he grimaced was enough to make her stop momentarily, and gave him enough time to twist it so he was in control. People passing them gave them disapproving looks, but he did not care. Soon everything was put out of his mind when Cameron pressed her lips against his. She pulled away after a minute, breathless.

'Okay, so maybe we didn't see the film, but d'ya know what House? I think this was more fun.'

'See? You need to be more like me, and less like Cuddy!'

To that she simply laughed, and rolled out from under him, and then helped him up.

'Come on, let's go watch some TiVo then.'

House could not argue with that logic, and did not want to – this was something he could get used to!


	7. Ties and Poker

**So we all know how much House hates suits etc - review with any ideas for a chapter if you have them =)**

**Woody2792x**

* * *

Ties and Poker

_Time for a benefit dinner, and House has something imprtant to ask Cameron..._

'House, we're going to be late.'

'So? It's only Cuddy, and she'll only get a bit annoyed. And an irritated Cuddles is funny.'

'Nuh uh. After last time, she said she'd triple your clinic hours if you did anything like that again; and being late counts.'

'Huh.' There was a slight pause, before House turned around to face Cameron. 'Do I _really_ have to wear this?' he held the offending item between his thumb and forefinger at arm's length from him; he would probably have been more cosied up to something it if it had been imbued with an untreatable disease.

'Yes, you do.'

'But it hurts mommy...'

'It's a black tie event and that is, in fact, a black tie.'

With a sigh of discontent, House turned his collar up and tied it in a double knot around his neck. As if _he_ would know how to tie a tie – that was why he had Wilson. When Cameron saw his pitiful attempt, she walked over and redid it; it was not necessarily as comfy her way, but it did not throttle him as much... Once she had straightened his collar out House grabbed her hand, trying to keep her near to him. Her sea-green eyes locked onto his, and once again he found himself wondering what he had done to deserve her.

'I'd take the clinic hours if it meant we could stay here tonight.'

'No you wouldn't, you'd get one of us to do them for you.'

'It amounts to the same thing really.'

'House, don't. Not tonight – we have to be there to support the hospital. Besides, you can play poker all evening if you want, and show me how to play too.'

He raised one eyebrow and looked at her carefully. It was not too long before she broke under his gaze.

'Don't look at me like that! I've been reading up about it, and I reckon I can do it.'

'I tried teaching you last week... Remember how that ended? We started playing Rummy instead.'

'Yeah, that was last week. And don't think you have inside knowledge on my tells, because you don't. Can we just go now, please?'

House chuckled – this would be some easy money tonight. He kissed her lips softly before extending an arm, which she took. 'We'll have to take the 'vette – wouldn't want your dress schmucked by the bike after all.'

*

Once he had parked the car and they had entered the hospital, House began almost enjoying himself. They had not let anyone, other than Wilson, know that they were together; from the expression of people in the entrance nobody had guessed. He and Cameron had decided that they had been dating long enough to safely break it to other people. He loved to see the faces of other men when they realised that he and Cameron were together, and kept thinking to himself '_Yeah, that's right bitch, she's _mine.' And tonight, it was an especially poignant thought. After all, she was wearing a gorgeous dark green dress, similar in style to that red one she wore before, only this was, if possible, more curve-hugging, and flattering than the other. When they entered, the looks of jealousy from other men were accompanied by shock from Cuddy and Wilson.

'House, you're... you're on time, for you. What happened?'

He tipped his head to Cameron.

'Her, that's what happened, if it was left to me, I wouldn't have come; of course, the poker _was_ a huge pull though. Well, come on then Dr Cameron, show me your skills.'

As House walked away from Cuddy, he heard her talk to Wilson, and he had to contain his grin – after all, he did not want people thinking he was having fun.

'How long have they been like that? Together?'

'A fair few months.'

'But he's, so unlike him!'

'Wait until poker... He isn't this happy without a good reason, even with Cameron.'

*

With a scotch in his hand, House settled himself at a poker table, sitting between Cameron and some anaesthetist he did not know. The others on the table were Foreman, Wilson and Cuddy, none of whom he thought could beat him. The dealer arrived, and so the game began. House spent very little time concentrating on his cards; he preferred to study the other players. So far, he had worked out that the anaesthetist was here for Cameron and had no idea of what to do – easy prey. Cameron on the other hand had appeared blank to him for the first couple of rounds, but she kept tucking her hair behind her ear this time – it was more likely to be a nervous trait than anything else, but to keep in line with her semi-threat, he decided to remain open minded.

Cuddy won the first pot, and made some snide remarks about House being distracted and not playing properly, maybe having lost his 'poker ability'.

In response, House won the next three rounds, leaving Cameron with next to no money and Wilson close to giving up to go and visit the nurses. He offered Cameron some extra chips, but she stoically refused.

'House, I've got this. I'll be fine; you don't need to help me out.'

'Sure, I mean, that huge pile of your chips is just itching to be released from the invisibility bag.'

Cameron muttered furiously to House, refusing to break him down in front of people, but refusing to be shown up as well.

'Cut the snark and play the cards, I'm not a game House.'

He turned to her in surprise and blinked before turning back to his cards. She _must_ be serious about concentrating on the poker; he figured he would make up for whatever he did wrong later, when they got home.

The next round left House shocked and plotting. Cameron had been both playing with her hair, and looking lost, so House decided to go all in; she was not alone in that – both Wilson and the anaesthetist had joined her. So, understandably, he assumed that he would be raking it in this game. Not so. Cameron beat his full house, with a straight flush; when the cards were revealed he winced a little as his chips were piled up underneath her nose. This elicited a grin from her – she had won the game. So she went to cash her chips, gave half to the benefit fund, and left with House.

'You know what; I think people took it well that we're together. I expected a worse reaction from Chase, or even Cuddy.'

'Mm, people still looked at you though, like they want to bang you.'

'So? They aren't going to – that's only for you.' She winked at him, and House smiled. Maybe the alcohol had played a part in it, but he did not hesitate to kiss her, even though they were not in the confines of the taxi!

'How did you get so good at poker?'

'I told you – I read up on it.'

'You cannot be that good by just _reading_.'

'Maybe I acted out some tells, and deliberately lost at the start to get people thinking I was bad...'

'And what about the last hand?'

'You were slightly slumped, so I knew you had a good hand. I guess it just came with the last card though.'

'Since when did you get so sneaky? That's my job!'

'I've learnt it from the master, along with some other things.'

Smiling, they got into the taxi, and House hurried him along, determined to give her his present before they went to sleep. Once in the apartment, House went to his bedside table and retrieved a box. Creeping up on Cameron, he managed to make her squeak in surprise, before seeing the box, when she went silent.

'House, what is this?'

'Well, not that you deserve it after your behaviour at the table tonight, but this is just a little something.'

He handed the box over and stood surveying her as she opened it. It was a small box, similar to the ones that jewellery was packaged in. She looked suspicious for a moment, before creaking the lid open. She gasped and looked at House.

'Are you sure? I mean... Really?'

'Really – it'll keep things around here a bit easier, and besides, it's a waste of money if we don't.'

'That's a very roundabout way of asking.'

'I'm a very roundabout sort of guy.' He paused, before continuing. 'Fine, if you need to hear it, Cameron, do you want to move in with me?'

'On one condition.'

'Which is...'

'You start calling me Ally. There's nothing wrong with Cameron, but sometimes, a first name would be nice.'

'Okay.'

As they hugged, House mentally rolled the word off his tongue. He knew what she meant – he loved hearing her call him Greg, and he usually hated anything other than House...


	8. Moving Day

**Enjoy - 9th, NEW part is up now too =)**

**Not the most fluffy, but please R and R**

**Woody2792x**

* * *

Moving Day

_It's time for Cameron to pack everything up for moving, and House unearths an old box..._

Cameron inhaled deeply. Today was _not_ going as well as she had planned, or wanted. There were only three people in her apartment, but it felt like there were forty, and as much as she had been looking forward to today, and after it, she was sorely tempted to give up and go sit in a corner to cry. House was being as obtuse as always, hindering more than he was helping, and Wilson was trying to look after House, look after her, _and_ help pack things into boxes for the removal men to take. Admittedly, it could have been worse – she could have left everything to the last minute; however there was only her storage cupboard, lounge and the remnants of her bedroom.

'House, please, either help or go sit somewhere out of the way. I really don't want this to all get off to a bad start–'

'–but if I bum around, you'll get pissy at me. Not surprising because it's nearing _that time_–'

'–how the heck did you know–'

'–so I shall disappear from the lounge until lunch.'

Cameron stared at him as he limped away. She turned to Wilson with a look of amazement and puzzlement on her face; he simply shrugged, muttering about House being a know-it-all and wanting to really try with her.

With House out of the way, everything got shoved into boxes quicker than you could say 'lupus', and everything was going as planned. The removal men had been instructed to cart her things to House's apartment, where they were lining the corridor – House had refused to go and sit with them, claiming that was what Chase and Foreman were for. Cameron allowed herself a wry grin at this thought; she wondered if Foreman would have used his skills and picked the lock, or if they were simply sitting on boxes... She was pulled away from her mental image by Wilson, who said he was going to pick up a couple of pizzas for lunch – the removal men were taking the sofa in the afternoon.

Stepping carefully through the debris, Cameron walked through her apartment, looking in the side rooms off the corridor until she found House, sitting on her bed. He'd clearly been packing little things away for her, like the books from her bookshelf and the jewellery cases on her cabinet. He did not look up as she entered, focussed on whatever he was holding; approaching, she recognised what it was. She let out an involuntary gasp and felt the memories biting at her head. Cameron practically ran over to him and grabbed the photos from him, a tear travelling down her cheek as she bit her lip.

'Greg, please, whatever you do, don't go in this box again.'

'Was that your husband?'

Cameron felt another tear slip down her face, followed quickly by some more. it was not so much that he was asking about her husband, but more that it was in a gently, soft voice.

'Yeah. Andy was the best thing that happened to me back then; he loved me, and I loved him.'

'Ally, you don't have to talk about it; I didn't mean to pry.'

'You were going to find it sometime anyway; you're House, the super-sleuth. Who knows, maybe spilling the dirt on the ex will help me get with the new.'

She was shocked at the hurt and bitterness in her voice; it was so unlike her she just sat in silence, thumbing through the photos.

'That was Barcelona... The summer before he got diagnosed; we had not really been going out for long before this, but he was just the sweetest in every way. He wouldn't even let me pay my half of the holiday.'

'You gave him enough as it was; you're enough as it is. He was lucky to have you Ally; as am I.' There was a slight pause while they both just sat and thought. 'I don't suppose you still have that bikini?'

This got Cameron chuckling. 'Yeah, it's around here somewhere. Maybe I'll wear it again someday. Maybe not.'

'I'm sorry. You came in...'

'Yeah, I just wanted to say that Wilson's ordere–'

The doorbell rang.

'–d pizza.'

'Well, we couldn't be late for that, could we?'

They both smiled, Cameron giving House a quick hug before they went to the lounge; House kept his arm on her waist, giving Cameron that feeling of protection.

*


	9. Woman's Intuition, and a Reward

'No, House, don't even contemplate doing that again.'

How could she do that? House wondered. Cameron was facing the sink, with water running, the kettle boiling, and the microwave going. Surely she could not have heard him creeping up on her?!

'I know you're still there. Tonight is meant to be pleasurable for _everyone_, that includes me, and I don't think it will be well received or appreciated if you shove popcorn down my bra and shirt again.'

'Seriously woman, how can you do that?'

'Magic.'

'No, no short answers for me. That's not right.'

The microwave beeped, drowning out the start of her reply.

'–all you're going to get; the rest of the popcorn is finished, so go and put that on the table next to the drinks, people should be arriving soon.'

With a sigh, House limped over to the microwave and took the packet out, hissing with shock at the heat.

'It's hot!'

'Yes Greg, it _has_ just been cooked in the microwave.'

She put a finger lightly on his lips before bringing the hurt hand to her lips. Gently she kissed the tips of them, lightly sucking, looking up into his eyes the whole time.

'Make the evening go as smoothly as it can with you here, and I'll make it worth your while once everyone has gone home.'

It was so tempting for him to just go up behind her once she had turned back to the sink and place his hands on her waist, kiss her neck... With a sigh he picked up the now-cooled bag from the floor and emptied it into a bowl before carrying it to the table.

He had just sat down on their sofa, lifted his legs up and turned the TiVo onto his SpongeBob recording when the doorbell went. There was a clatter of things in the kitchen as Cameron apparently managed to lose control of plates; she came staggering out of the kitchen with a towel but House pushed his cane into her path to stop her.

'I'll get it.'

'But you're sitting, and they're–'

'Whoever it is, if they can't wait then they don't want to come. You're already busy, so I'll go. No, don't argue Ally, it's fine.'

Pushing himself to standing with a minimal wince, House limped over to the door and swung it open. Facing him, about to ring the doorbell again were Chase and Foreman.

'Should've known it would be you.' Calling slightly louder he said, 'The wombat and the homey are here. Do come in, why don't you.'

House grinned slightly at the perplexed and worried looks he received for his underlings. They walked quickly past their boss and towards the lounge; Cameron met them and gave them both a drink, squeaking when House grabbed her wrist. He nudged Foreman's drink in the process, but he really did not care.

'Greg, what're you doing?'

'Did a plate break earlier?'

'What? That's got nothi–'

'Did it break?'

'Yes, but I've cleared it all up.'

'That's not the problem. This is.' He pointed to the cut on her arm which was bleeding.

'Jeez, I didn't even notice that; I'm sorry guys, just make yourself at home, yeah?'

House lead her to the bathroom and sat her down on the toilet lid. He gently cleaned the wound and bandaged it up, 'No stitches, but it'll take a while.'

'I am a doctor too, House.'

'I know, but you're mine. I look after my things well.'

He quickly placed a kiss to her lips as the doorbell rang again. They left the bathroom hand in hand to see Chase had opened the door to a smiling Cuddy and Wilson. Everyone made their way into the lounge and sat with a drink in their hand and talked. It was quite plain to see that people were unsure of how to behave around him especially since he was almost _happy_, and did not try to hide it from anyone. Sitting on the sofa next to Cameron, he realised his arm had instinctively gone onto the back of the sofa, and his hand was lightly touching her shoulder, sometimes stroking it. Each time he did his version of laughing, his body turned in a little, towards her, and for once, he could say he was enjoying himself while with people other than Cameron.

Eventually the chatter died down, the nibbles got refilled, and the TV was switched on. Cameron had insisted that he recorded Armageddon for them to all watch, and after a few mild protests, he relented – once again, popcorn proved to be the deciding factor in this. Gradually, they all became transfixed by the unfolding story on his _huge_ television screen, especially when it came to the love story of Liv Tyler's and Ben Affleck's characters. Being the man he was, House merely enjoyed watching the pretty lady on the screen, ignoring the rest of the story. It was not like he had not seen the film, and there was enough of the bad story then, let alone again.

The credits rolled and Cameron passed the tissues to Cuddy, making House roll his eyes.

'Come on, the film was not that sad, or romantic, and as for the inaccuracies, well, I could go on and on about them.'

Cuddy tried to persuade him otherwise. 'So you're saying that the heart-wrenching sacrifice Harry makes for his daughter doesn't move you one bit?'

'Nope. As I said, it's too inaccurate for me to consider it worthwhile. I mean, come on, noise in space? An explosion? Everyone with one brain cell knows that they are both physically impossible. It's called a vacuum, meaning that all the hyped things that film producers like cannot happen. Like explosions. Yet they still feel the need to include them. Now, give me a film with Angelina Jolie in, and I might overlook the small issues in it...'

Cameron slapped his arm before turning to their guests.

'Thanks for coming guys, I know it's a fairly informal housewarming party, but hey, it's not a brand new house to us.'

Everyone said their thanks, and shuffled out, leaving House and Cameron in the hallway alone. Carefully, House took hold of her arm and unrolled the bandage.

'It looks okay, if we let it get some air for a bit, we can re-bandage it before we sleep; I don't want blood getting on the covers.'

'Since when did you care about mess? I mean, it's not like you do much cleaning...'

'It's an indirect way of me saying I don't want you getting hurt. Of course, you've just made be bare my feelings, and there isn't half going to be some repercussions for that Ally.'

'Well seeing as you didn't make _too_ much of an ass of yourself tonight, I think there's something I owe you...'

House almost groaned at the thought; he limped as quickly as he could into the bathroom, grabbed the bandage and reapplied it to her arm. He threw it somewhere over his shoulder, towards the lounge, as Cameron captured his lips with her own. They stumbled towards the bedroom and onto the bed. It seemed as though her arm would have to wait until tomorrow to get some air...

* * *

**Thanks to jpoeling for idea of putting all of this series in one story – definitely a lot tidier =)**

**Ally Cameron – thanks for your reviews – always uplifting to read**

**Thanks for faves guys =)**

**Keep those reviews coming!**


	10. Clinic Duty and Reparations

With a huge yawn, House flopped onto the sofa in as ungainly fashion as was possible with his bum leg. He propped his leg up on the table in front of his, and lay his stick down across his legs. He massaged his forehead with his long fingers, digging them in as hard as he could to try and rid himself of his useless day. As if on cue, Cameron walked in, a beer in one hand, a glass of red wine in the other. She handed the beer over to him and flopped down next to him.

'So. What's made your day so bad then?'

'Where do I start Ally? Do I start in clinic, or the case, or what?'

He downed a gulp of the beer and rested his head back, letting the day's events wash over him.

*

_He limped into Exam Room 1, still scowling because his remark about Cuddy's shirt, or lack of, had not bothered her. Without even bothering to look at the patient, he sat in the chair and pulled his PSP out of his pocket and flicked it on. It loaded up and he had just started a new level when the patient coughed._

'_What? What could possibly be so important that you feel the need to interrupt me _just as I start_ a level? Are you really that incompetent?'_

'_No, I just, eh, aren't you a doctor?'_

'_Yes. What of it?'_

'_You're here to treat me, right?'_

'_Not by choice, I guarantee you, but yes.'_

'_Well, I'd like to be treated, if that's, eh, not too much trouble...'_

_The patient faltered under House's piercing look._

'_Well, seeing as you've managed to successfully make me die, I don't see that I have any other choice. What's disturbing you? The fact your wife is having an affair with your boss, or that she's given you an STD from this boss?'_

'_I... How... Eh?'_

'_I'm a doctor, it's my job to know these things. Drop your pants and I'll send off for a test of what it is. Come back in a few days.'_

_That patient scurried away before he had even done his belt up, and left House in peace for a minute. A nurse came in to collect the notes and test, and as she left another patient came in. She sat on the bed and waited for him to acknowledge her. he completed his level and put the PSP into sleep mode before looking up._

'_For a patient, you could be worse. What's ruining your life so much that you had to come and ruin mine?'_

'_I might have the flu, or pneumonia.'_

'_What are your symptoms?' House yawned widely as she reeled off the usuals: sniffles, temperature swings, runny nose, hacking cough, yadda yadda yadda._

'_Stop right there. You've managed to earn yourself a place on my least favourite list o today–'_

'_You said that I could be wor–'_

'_That was before you started talking. You have a cold. Simple as. Now go and get some over-the-counter stuff from your local shop and leave me in peace.'_

'_But, I read–'_

'_Some crap on the internet, yes, well done, you can successfully now be called gullible. Out. Now.'_

_The lady patient had not been gone long before Cuddy stormed in to reprimand him over it all. As usual, he retried his shirt and funbags comments, this time earning a blush from her. However it did not stop her forcing another patient in on him..._

'House? House! Greg, come on, concentrate on me Greg...'

House was pulled from his reverie by the sound of Cameron's voice, and the feel of her hands on his cheeks, making him face her. He realised he could not really feel his fingers, so he loked down – not really all that surprising since they were wound tightly around his cane, and had no colour in them.

'Are you okay?'

'Am _I_ okay Greg? You're the one who's been hitting the air in front of you and cutting off your own blood supply...'

'Bad day. Clinic was more pathetic than usual, and I just want an uncomplicated evening, watch some TiVo, have a takeout dinner, and some hot sex to make up for it.'

'Okay.' Cameron smiled and grabbed the phone from the table. 'Usual from the Thai place?'

'Uh huh, thanks.'

*

Halfway through dinner, House noticed Cameron wince while she was raising her fork to her mouth. She did the same again with the next forkful but it did not seem to be hurting her too much.

'Are you okay?'

'Mhm, it's just a small ouch, nothing to worry about.'

'Tell me.'

'You've had a bad day, don't worry about it.'

'Ally. Tell me.'

'It's just from last night, where you pinned me, it just catches sometimes, like when I lift the fork up, and if I don't just carry on through it and ignore it, the memories hit me. It's not a bad thing at all; the minimal pain gets caught up in the memories.'

House dumped his plate on the table none to carefully, and ignored the clatter resulting from it, along with some spilt rice grains. He noticed her wide-eyed look, and scooted over to her, kissing her none too gently on the lips.

'Bedroom. Now. Screw dinner, I _need_ you.'

*

* * *

**Okay, here's the 10th part =)**

**As always, reviews are loved, especially if they give me hints as to where I can take this =)**

**Woody2792x**


	11. Surprise

House was waiting for her as she walked in the front door to their apartment, he had a jacket in over one arm, and his bitchin' flame cane in the other. There was barely time for the shock to register on her face before he herded her into their bedroom. He took her bag and keys from her hands, pecked her on the cheek, and said,

'Come on then, get changed – we're going out.'

'But, Greg, it's our night in, our take-out and movie night... You agreed to that this morning!'

'Change of plans. Trust me, you'll enjoy this more.'

'Where are we going?'

'Nuh uh, not going to work Ally.'

'Well could you at least tell me what to wear? Or give me some sort of a hint?'

'Casual. But not slobbing-it-up casual. Try your grey jeans, white tank top and black whatever-it's-called.'

'Did you just... never mind, I'll be back out in 10.'

'5, make it 5.'

With a suspicious glance at House, Cameron did as instructed, pulling the clothes from her closet and quickly changing into them. She brushed some make-up on as carefully as she could within the time restraint, but House stopped her putting any extra on by coming into their bedroom and pulling her to standing.

'Ally, you look gorgeous as it is, in clothes that _I_ picked out, of all people.'

'You just like knowing what'll be on the floor tomorrow morning don't you?'

Cameron felt her legs go weak as House winked at her.

'Damn, you know part two of my secret plan. Come on, we're taking the bike tonight.'

When they reached the parking lot, House pulled a scarf from his pocket and deftly swooped it over Cameron's eyes before placing the helmet over her head. She knew that struggling was pointless – he would get his way eventually, and this would result in a quicker solution to her questions.

'It's okay, I'll take the corners gently Ally. Just hold on tight, yeah?'

'Of course.'

###

It took about 20 minutes from apartment to destination, and it wasn't until House removed the blindfold that the Cameron felt the full impact of the situation – he had brought her to another monster trucks show!

'House... why?'

'Well, it's your birthday next week, and I was looking through a few things, it's the anniversary of the first time that you graced this thing with your presence. If you want, it's the anniversary of our first date.'

'I thought it was a non-date...'

'Must you be so hung up on details? Anyway, I knew you wouldn't expect anything, so I thought why not. Besides, Gravedigger is here again tonight!'

'Ah, the real reason...'

'Nope. Call it uncharacteristic, but this is all for you.'

'You'll never be uncharacteristic as long as you keep surprising me. Come on, let's go and get some candyfloss!'

Cameron could not help but be happy that House was starting to loosen up around her. Of course, this did mean that she owed him a lot in bedroom antics, but if that was the price then it would be paid ten times over for these few and far between moments.


	12. Present and a Result

Cameron was sitting on the sofa when House got home, watching General Hospital. She heard the door shut behind him, and the trademark _step-thunk _of his gait on the wooden flooring. Instead of his usual greeting, she turned to face him and received a plastic bag to the face.

'House? I know you told me to come home because, and I quote, 'Cuddles wanted you to visit the twins' but surely that doesn't mean you're annoyed at me? You said to come home.'

'You under estimate my powers of being-annoyed-at, woman. But no, I'm not annoyed at you, thus I'm not taking anything out on you. That was a carefully selected present for you.'

'Greg, it's not even the weekend... Why?'

'It's mid-week, well observed. There wasn't a suggested giving date with it though, and I thought long and hard about it before giving it to you.'

'O-kay...'

'Well, aren't you going to look at it?'

Cameron removed the box from the bag, turned it over and read the labelling – it was a pregnancy test.

'What? Don't look at me in teat way Ally; it's a perfectly viable possibility.'

'Why would you think that I'm pregnant?'

'Well, you're five days late, and your maximum is usually three, you've taken to not dabbing the fat off your pizza, and you enjoy 'mindless soaps' as you label them. Lastly, but possibly most importantly, your assets have grown.'

'Greg, they always do for this week! That why nature frustrates you so much.'

'if only that aspect stayed for longer... And I know they do normally, but not this much – trust me. Just do the damn test Ally.'

Cameron nodded, unsure how to react to House being calm and collected over the possibility that she was pregnant. The scenario had crossed her mind over the past couple of days, but she dismissed it – the team had had an exceptionally stressful patient this week. She disappeared into the bathroom and followed the instructions on the box. Once the three minutes were up, she took a look at the result before leaving the bathroom. Tentatively she walked back to the lounge and stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe.

'Greg, it... It turns out science isn't 100% infallible. The test was positive.'

'Well done on learning that now, how long have you been a doctor for?'

House smiled, showing that it was meant lightly, and a span of silence ensued for a moment or two, before Cameron couldn't take it anymore.

'Look, if you don't want it, then it's fine. I'll... I'll set up an appointment.'

'Ally, don't talk nonsense. It's not you, _you_ wouldn't have an abortion.'

'If it meant I wouldn't lose you, then I'd do anything within my power.'

'You're not going to lose me Ally, believe me when I say it. I probably don't say it enough, or reassure you of it, but it's true. I've had three days to get used to the idea of... _this_... At first, yes, I would have urged for the abortion, but I've spoken to Wilson and there was no pressure on me, so it all cooled off. I thought about it today through work, and it's a part of you, not just me. I think my attitude for you extends for it, and I may have finally learnt to share. But only 'cause it has half your genes. Anyone else is still banned. Even if this kids ends up disturbed and troubled, it'll be _our_ disturbed and troubled ankle-biter. Come here you.'

Cameron found herself melting into House's embrace on the sofa. He had been surprisingly mature about it all, and it was at times like these that she appreciated how much he could still surprise her.

'Can we watch Spongebob now? This is the one when they drive places.'

She giggled at his excited face. Or not.

* * *

_I found this quite a hard one to write - the transition of House between grumpy wotsit and semi-caring sort of family man is difficult! I sincerely hope I wasn't too OOC, (I'd like to say not at all, but that won't have happened...)._

_Woody2792x_


	13. A Scan

'Greg, come on, we're going to be late.'

'It's in my nature to be late, ask Cuddles, she'll verify that.'

'I know, but that's why I got you up an hour earlier than normal, having put the appointment time wrong on the calendar as well!'

'At best we'll be 5 minutes late Ally, so there's no need to make out that this is a really big thing. Jeesh, even _you're_ late by 5 minutes every so often!'

'Yeah, but–'

'No buts. Come on Allykat, I'm sure our creation will still be visible if we're a little late.'

They were less than 5 minutes late, and as soon as the nurse on the desk saw House's thunderous face and Cameron's worried one she ushered them into the room awaiting them. Unlike the nurse had, the doctor seeing them took a little time to sort herself out and scribble little notes down in her file. Eventually she looked up, a smile plastered on her face.

'Hi there, I'm Dr Shepard, but please, call me Annie.'

Cameron had to elbow House in the ribs to stop him making a sarcastic comment before she returned Annie's smile.

'Okay, before we actually do the scan and check-over today, there's just something I need to get straight first. Do you want to know the sex of your baby?'

House managed to jump in and answer the question before Ally even had time to draw a breath.

'Look, we're doctors and even if we said no, there's no doubt that one of us if not both of us would see anyway, so yeah, we do want to be told.'

Annie didn't seem too taken aback at his brashness, and continued smiling, nodding her head understandably.

'Okay then, well Dr Cameron, if you could lie back, we'll get started!'

As all the checks on Cameron were done and passed with a clean bill of health, the nerves before seeing their little one were rising. Uncharacteristically House reached for Cameron's hand, giving it a small squeeze as Annie applied the gel.

And then, all of a sudden, was their foetus, one screen. Their little bundle of genes was visible in the monochrome scheme of the screen. As the view changed and the sound of a thud-thud-thud-thud-ing heartbeat filled their ears, House dropped Cameron's hand and left the room. Annie looked up, her eyes wide and her mouth in the shape of an 'oh'.

'Is he okay?'

Cameron just shrugged, unable to formulate words – she was concentrating on not letting her tears out. He had reassured her that they were in it together, that it was half of each of them and thus he wanted to be there. And then… then _this_ happened.

'Can… Can I just go, please?'

Annie nodded, squeezing Cameron's shoulder.

'No problem hunni, we were just finishing up here anyway. Do you want a copy of the scan?'

'Yes please… Would it be possible to get four?'

'Of course. Now, while they're printing out I'll get you some paper towels and tissue so you can get all cleaned up.

House limped his way out of the hospital and along the sidewalk as fast as his leg would let him. As soon as was possible, he went down a couple of side streets in order to take a shortcut, as well as to avoid the main road – this way Ally kept the car and could go wherever she wanted to easily. He knew he couldn't go straight back to their apartment, not after what he saw, and as he had booked the day off from work, he could go and hide out at Wilson's place… Although that wouldn't be as much fun without him there to annoy. So House decided to make his way back to the hospital and go up to Wilson's office in as stealthy a way as was feasible. That involved avoiding all the main entrances and elevators, leaving him with the 'service' door, and a couple of rarely-used elevators and staircases. With this a success, he proceeded to enter into Wilson's office and wait for his 'friend' to return from… wherever he was… And as there was a packet of chips lying on the desk, House decided to munch those too. He was just licking his fingers when the oncologist entered the room.

'House! What are you…? Where's Cameron? Is everything alright?'

'Yeah, yeah, well, she was before I left. And as for the little thing inside her, he's okay too.'

'He?'

'Yeah.'

'House, why are you really here?'

'Why do you think Wilson? Are you enjoying being particularly stupid today, or have you mutated back down the evolutionary scale to an amoeba?'

'So it's because it's a he. Talk to me House, I know it's a foreign concept, but even if you can't face Cameron, she deserves to know why.'

That evening, Wilson gave House his apartment key and told him he could stay there until the next day; after that then he had to face up to life. As for Wilson, he went over to House and Cameron's apartment and knocked gently on the door. A tear-stained face opened the door and pulled the doctor in for a hug. He held her close to him and waited to be released. No words were exchanged between the two of them as they made their way through to the living room, but Wilson could see the effect of House's behaviour on Cameron. She went through to the kitchen and switched the kettle on before gesturing to Wilson to sit on the sofa with her. She lifted her drink bottle up and chuckled to herself, voicing the thoughts that were going through her head.

'I can't even get drunk to get rid of these thoughts. I knew it would happen sometime, but the one time I need him, more than normal…'

'He just–'

Wilson couldn't even get more than two words out before the opening and slamming of the front door interrupted them. The trademark step-thunk made its way down the hallway and into the lounge, and House flung his cane onto the sofa along with his jacket.

'Wilson, go play dolls with Cuddles or someone, I'm sure she needs company tonight.'

'You–'

'Maybe I wasn't clear enough. Out, now, before I have to get physical, and believe me, Mr Cane over there likes it when I do that.'

'Alright, alright. House, I'll see you tomorrow. Cameron, you know where I am if you need.'

'And quit being such a girl Jimmy, I already have Chase for that.'

He waited for the front door to bang shut before turning to Cameron.

'I'm sorry, seeing the scan today brought up issues I didn't want. I'm not going to pansy over them, I've had all afternoon with Wilson doing that – anyone would think we were booked into a spa day. I don't want to become my father, and I don't want to hurt you. Though judging by the way you look and the tissues scattered, I'm too late to stop that last one. But I've thought about the whole thing, and I want to work through it all, with you. Whatever happens, I want to be there for the kid, because although I don't say it often, I love you, and I'll love him too.'

House stood there, silent once he had finished, and let his words wash over Cameron. He could see them registering in her mind, and the body language she was expressing changed. When he had first entered, she had been showing signs of distress and sadness; these had changed through anger to love and protection. Her greeny-blue eyes shone at him with unfallen tears and her hands rested lightly on her slightly swollen abdomen.

'House, this is a chance for you to put your father behind you, and become the father I know you will be. And do you know what? I love you too. Now, let's just go to bed…'

And that's just what they did – they went to bed and held each other close. And the last thing House saw before he gave himself up to sleep was the ultrasound scan.


	14. Shock with a Kick

Things were still a little tense between House and Cameron the evening after the scan; they had a relatively quiet dinner together before going their separate ways – Cameron to bed to read, and House to the piano. As she lay in bed, Cameron found her eyes glossing over the same sentences over and over again; no matter that this was her sixteenth attempt at reading it, she still had no idea what this chapter was about. What she did know though, was that House was playing a new blues tune on the piano, one she had not heard before, and that in itself was odd. Over the last couple of years she had been treated to hearing most of, if not all of his repertoire, which lead her to believe this was something new. Either that or it was a long forgotten tune he had dredged up from the back of his memory. Slowly she got out of bed and padded along the hallway to the lounge, stopping in the doorway.

She quickly realised that he was crooning along to the melody, his husky voice adding some harmony to parts, and just going with it in others. Cameron found herself closing her eyes, the notes lulling her away from consciousness and into a peace-filled state. Any leftover annoyance she had felt towards House for running out on the scan was gone, replaced with a feeling of love instead. Without really trying, she could see their future together, and although a bit dysfunctional, it felt like home. The corners of her lips curled up in a half smile, and she leant her head against the doorframe, one hand resting on her bump.

The music continued to fill the apartment, but she managed to stop it with a rather squeaky 'ooh!'. Cane forgotten, and music abandoned, House limped his way over to Cameron. He lead her over to their sofa and sat her down with him beside her before saying anything.

'Ally, what's wrong? Does it hurt?'

'No… I… He kicked. Sorry, first time that's happened and it was a bit odd!'

'Here, let me see…'

House put his hand on the bump, exactly where hers had been, and waited for a couple of minutes, waiting for any sign of movement.

'It did happen… honest…'

'Shush… I'm sure it did Ally.'

Cameron was about to say something else when House put his head down to her tummy, resting his forehead on her bosom, and started up his humming and crooning again. This time his voice took on the music line as well as the voice line, so while it didn't seem to flow quite as smoothly as before, it took on a whole new dimension. He was only a few bars in when there was some movement, quickly punctuated with a kick, directly under House's hand. There was a moment of silence before he started up the singing again, and continued this time past the first kick, almost as though he was drawing out the movements, painting them with his voice.

After a couple of minutes, House stopped and looked up at Cameron, joy pouring out of his eyes. He shuffled a little closer and put his arm around her, linking his fingers on his spare hand with hers, resting both on her stomach.

'Ally, I know this isn't how you must have imagined it happening, and it certainly isn't how I planned for it to happen. But something…something just seems so right tonight, with him kicking, and everything. We both know it's going to happen – no one else will put up with me, let alone carry my spawn – and to be honest, there's no one else I'd rather it happen with. I realise I'm not the best catch out there, but Allison Cameron, will you marry me?'

There was no pause, no hesitation, and no need to think it over. She pressed a kiss to his lips before saying 'yes' over and over again. House drew out a box from his pocket, and opened it to reveal a white gold band, set with a diamond, flanked by two sapphires. As he placed it on Cameron's finger, he explained that it had been his grandmother's, and he had had it renovated and resized for her. They shared a couple more kisses, before breaking apart, chuckling, as there were some more kicks; it seemed as though Bump wanted in on the action too!


	15. Allykat

Cameron placed her knife and fork down on the plate, side by side, and let out a satisfied sigh. That meal was possibly one of _the_ best she had ever eaten; apart from House's cooking, obviously – that trumped everything. House looked up from his forkful of steak and raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.

'That was just perfect... I think Bump liked it as well, it hasn't kicked or elbowed my ribs or made its presence known.'

House snickered and looked over at Wilson.

'Presence not known, pah!'

'House, she can't help it; it _is_ your fault as well...'

'Just because there is a bump protruding about ten feet in front and around me does not mean that you have to misinterpret what I say. At least it was not the haddock all over again... that was both painful and embarrassing...'

Cameron shuddered as the words exited her mouth.

'Look, Cuddles doesn't understand - am I allowed to explain, Allykat?'

'Be my guest.'

'We were at a restaurant a couple of weeks back, and it would appear that Bump doesn't appreciate being force-fed haddock. Sensible parasite that it is; anyway, Bump put up an almighty show of force inside Ally, elbowing and squeezing and generally making life difficult. The funny thing was, our waitress thought she was going to drop right there and then!'

Cuddy nodded, understanding one of the many in-jokes that the couple in front of her shared – it both made sense and was appropriate for anyone listening. For once.

House stood up and picked up his cane, manoeuvring out of the tight table-seat gap before turning back to the table.

'I'm just going to get another drink, do you tow want anything? Allykat?'

They all placed their orders, earning a long-suffering sigh from House before he went over to the counter, leaving them to talk.

'Well, this has been a lovely meal Cameron, thank you for inviting us with you.'

'Ah, you know how House is Lisa, can't spend too long without Wilson – he starts getting withdrawal symptoms after a couple of days. Besides, I haven't done anything except eat, talk and look chubby.'

'It was nice to see the two of you out of work, wasn't it James?'

'Mhm... That's one thing I meant to ask you though, why does he keep calling you Allykat? I could understand Cameron and Ally, obviously, and lobby art, and chubby, but I can't get my head around this one. It's not insulting, complimentary, logical or deducible.'

'Did he really call me chubby? I guess it shouldn't surprise me by now...'

House returned and handed out the cokes to Cuddy and Wilson and the orange juice and kit-kat bar to Cameron. Smiling, she started unwrapping it.

'What's he whining about now?'

'I wasn't even talking when you got back!'

'That's not the point Jimmy, I could see your whiney-face from the counter, and you exude an aura of general whiney-ness when something isn't clear to you, or you want something.'

'Greg, he was just asking why you call me Allykat; since you gave it to me, I think you can explain.'

'You made me give it to you though... there was nothing else I could do _other_ than give it to you!'

'You created it too, don't even start going down that road, or when the time comes, it'll be even more hell for you...'

'Alright, alright... Jeez, pregnancy hormones...' House wafted his hands around mockingly, and then quickly looked at Wilson as Cameron narrowed her eyes at him. 'Basically, instead of continually cycling through cravings, as most _normal_ people do, she started off with pickled eggs, and then moved onto kit-kats in custard. As you do. And then Bump decided to spice it all up a little, so Ally craved kit-kats and sweet chilli sauce; then it moved to chocolate ice cream, and then salt... Even though the crazy-ness of it all has gone these days, she still has to have a kit-kat for pudding.

Cameron let out a little 'ooh' and pressed her hand to the side of her swollen tummy. Rubbing her thumb up and down, she chuckled.

'That's right little one; you tell daddy that they're tasty.'


	16. DDX

House scratched his head before picking up his cane to twirl. The symptoms the patient was experiencing just did not add up to anything, not even the usual suspects. It did not really help that the wombat and the homie were behaving more densely than he had ever thought was possible. They'd triple checked the samples, run the labs again, tried to out him as a Munchie, but nothing was going their way. So, in spectacular House-ian style, he had rubbed all of the symptoms off the whiteboard, much to Chase's distress, and they were starting the case. Again.

Really, all of it could come down as being Cuddy's fault, after all, if she had not met the flipping donors, then they would not have requested his own spectacular service, which in turn meant she would not have been able to blackmail him into taking the case. So any lost sleep, lives or patients could be blamed on her. So here he was. In the DDX room along with his three ducklings, and a ducklingling, a blank whiteboard, and no ideas.

'Come on people, I know he hasn't deteriorated lots in the past 24 hours, but that doesn't mean he won't suddenly spike a fever, or crash, or anything. We need ideas!'

'Uh, Sarcoidosis?'

'Doubtful, there isn't enough wrong with his respiratory system. Wombat?' House pointed his cane at the Aussie.

'Diabetes?'

'I said ideas, not rulings out. Ally?'

'Could be autoimmune or fungal infection.'

House considered this for a brief moment before moving on, bending down a little.

'Can Nick please enlighten us all as to what it _isn't_?'

'It's not Lupus!'

'Atta boy Nick, you'll get your degree soon enough.'

'House, he's–'

Cuddy walked in through the glass door, pausing all conversation.

'House! You can_not_ use your son as part of the differentials!'

'And why not? He just made an exceptionally useful contribution.'

'Because he's 5 years old. 5. He should be at school, not in the hospital.'

'Well, just in case you hadn't noticed Cuddles, it's Saturday. You brought us all in on a Saturday, at stupid o'clock in the morning, without any time to arrange for other care. Besides, it's early work experience for him, hey Nick?'

'Yeah!'

Cuddy merely raised an eyebrow at him before storming out – there was little she could say to that argument; suggesting the day care centre was suicide as far as House was concerned.

The diagnostician looked over at Cameron and Nick, a small smile emerging; his son, who he had been so scared of to start with, was turning out perfectly. With himself and Cameron, their kids could only have blue eyes, although his were softer, more like Cameron's; and as for the hair, well, he had gotten his father's hair. There was a confused look on Nicks face, one which brought House out of his reverie and back to PPTH.

'What's up kiddo?'

'Daddy, what about W... Wal... Wilson's... and what's a degree?'

All the doctor's in the room chuckled – he truly was House's son.


	17. Clinic with a Difference

Yet another beautiful day was blossoming in clinic as House took his usual position on the bed and pulled his PSP from his pocket. With a flick of the switch, it was on, and he started up his game. With 3 levels completed and a new top score, a patient came into the room, looked around bemusedly and decided to sit on the stool. There was a brief pause before House looked up, said, 'Go ahead then,' before turning back to his game. The patient made a strange choking sound, hesitating before speaking.

'Well, I don't really do much sports-wise, which is why this all surprised me. But you see, every time I lean on my shoulder it really hurts, and if I stretch it, it hurts so much that–'

'You've pulled a muscle.'

'But I looked it up, what about a torn rotator cuff?'

'No, it's just a pulled muscle.'

'I don't beli–'

'Stretch upwards. Put your arm in front of you and then raise it. Out to the side and raise it. If you had a torn or even a stretched rotator cuff it would have hurt you a lot more than that. Just rest it up for a day or so. Out.'

A second patient came in within the minute, and also took the stool. They did not even wait for anyone to speak, but launched into a story of their life.

'Okay, so last week I went out for a date, and then we ended up dancing in the rain. By the way, both of us were a little, er, drunk. But then I got home, and everything hurt, so I went to bed, and then I woke up in the morning with a sweat, and then work was just horrible, and when I got home, breathing was hard and–'

'You have the rhinovirus. Just go to your store and grab some Tylenol, and take it. No, don't argue, I know what I'm doing, jeez.'

The patient was speechless as she walked out of the door, taking second glances over her shoulder back into the exam room. There was not a break of any longer than five minutes before Cameron walked in. House looked up from his game and smiled. However, he couldn't get a single word out before she began talking, her voice raised more than normal.

'Nicholas Timothy House, what on earth do you think you're doing?'

The young boy blinked a couple of times before pointing at his father.

'Well Ally, at a push I'd have said he was helping his crippled father diagn–'

'I should have guessed. Take the lab coat off, put down the clipboard and come with me – we'll go and get you some lunch while your father does his _own_ job; I'll have words with him later.'

'But mum, I–'

'No buts Nick, if Nurse Brenda had paged Cuddy instead of me then this would have been a completely different story.'

House looked up from his game and waved to get Cameron's attention.

'Bring him back afterwards, it's not as though I'd let him misdiagnose anything.'

'Dad!'

'Not that he _would_ misdiagnose anything, I mean, how could he with us as parents. But someone has to sign the prescription sheets if they actually needed one, not that they're actually ill but you know. And I, contrary to popular belief, do keep half an ear open where our spawn is concerned. And there's actually very little that Cuddles can actually do – I have tenure.'

'Yes, but Nick doesn't. Nick isn't even qualified yet!'

'Yet. I will be one day.'

'Nick, sweetie, you're nearly 10, you have a long way to go at the moment.'

'But mum, I ace every exam we have at school, I could ace a few years above ones too, Polly down the road let me do hers for her.'

'Nick...'

'Don't worry dad, she did pay me.'

'Good man.'

'Greg!'

'Ally, he has to learn business sometime, and he seems ready now...'

'Anyway, I reckon that I could go to university, get a degree and then come back, all before I was 25.'

'Knowing your father, yes, you probably could. I'll go in and chat to your teachers again – we don't want you suspended again because you were rude.'

'I'd done the work!'

'I'm not debating that Nick... That still doesn't change anything – you're coming with me. Greg, I'll see you later.'

'Nice try kiddo, maybe deflecting will work next time. Just make it less personal for yourself, and more personal for the other person yeah?'

The door shut loudly, cutting the end of House's sentence off.

'Damn, there goes my protégé, foiled once again. Ah well, back to racing...'

* * *

_Hey there, I hope this wasn't too confusing for you... Just in case it was, House was lazing, playing PSP while Nick treated his patients for him in clinic._

_If you enjoyed this, you know what you can do to let me know :D_

_Woody2792x_

_p.s. NEW content is the next chapter - this is just reordering :)_


	18. Epilogue

They sat next to each other, each in their separate armchairs in front of the fireplace, and surveyed the photos looking back at them. This was just a small selection on show, with many more hidden away in their room, but then again, these were the key moments in their life together – the rest could be filled in with memories and stories.

The first showed Nick's birth, a tired looking Cameron in the background, with a proud House holding his son in the foreground. Neither of them could really remember who had taken the photograph, but whether it was one of their parents, or a nurse, it did not matter. The photo was perfect, with all three of them looking beyond happy. Although a few minutes after the flash had gone off, Nick enlightened them to just how spectacular his lungs were, and just how loud he could scream.

They had put off getting married until Nick was three, old enough to be a part of the wedding, but young enough to still be well behaved and cute. Or at least that was how House saw it when they were planning… In reality he was far too clever ahead of his years to count as 'well-trained', instead he seemed hell-bent on creating mischief and charming each and every guest there. There had been no rush on having the wedding because they both knew they were together until the end – what was a bit of paper going to prove? The next couple of photos showed the two of them at the altar, just after their first kiss, and just before House stole a sneaky second one, much to the amusement of the congregation and the guy presiding over it. In the edges of the frame you could also see Wilson (undoubtedly best man, although House had made him sweat it for a few months, playing along with Taub) and Thirteen (surprising maid of honour, most people thought, although she and Cameron had gotten rather close over the pregnancy and wedding planning – which only increased House's lust-fuelled fantasies). Cuddy had played a part in the wedding too, mostly loking after all the sproglets, Rachel and Nick included.

The remainder of the photos were of their children together. After Nick, there had been Edward Jonathan (Ted), and Amelia Beth (Millie). They, in turn had gone on to have their own children, giving House and Cameron nine grandchildren, with two more on the way. Career-wise, Nick was now running the diagnostics department in PPTH as well as being a large helping hand in starting one up across the state. Millie had gone into Nephrology, with Immunology as a secondary focus; as for Ted, well, he seemed to be the odd child out, because he had gone into business management with art. However he was so successful that Cuddy's replacement was considering him as her own replacement, despite the lack of hospital experience.

The grandchildren were coming along very well too, several of them were ahead of their years and had already skipped some grades, and they were an exceptionally diverse bunch. Two or three wanted to go into medicine, and there was a sportsman in there, as well as musician and designer. Of course, all of that could change in the next few years, but for now, that's how it stood. Katie, the eldest of them was already starting her university course for medicine, with the intention of finishing her training at PPTH. Slowly, the House-Cameron clan were taking over PPTH, and with any luck they would soon have majority control.

With that thought, House let out a chuckle, absent mindedly stroking the back of Cameron's hand too.

'What's so funny Greg?'

'Oh Allykat, if only Cuddy were alive today, to see her precious PPTH being handed over to our kids, on a silver platter. I'm sure that she's turning in her grave somewhere…'

'True… But still, without her, it wouldn't be what it is today.'

'Exactly. And without us, there would be a severe lack of talent in the world.'

Together House and Cameron had achieved the near-impossible. They had overcome obstacles, found love, and were still together, old and grey, in their own home, surrounded by a loving family.

* * *

_So, hopefully that wasn't too shocking as an ending. I had originally planned to have a couple more chapters, detailing the wedding/birth of Nick a lot more, but hey ho. That's life, right?_

_For those of you who've been here since the start, I have fully re-ordered the chapters, so it is all chronological :)_

_Hopefully some of you readers will review, help me improve, or just drop a comment, saying if you liked or disliked it._

_Thanks for readingsticking with me :)_

_Woody2792x_


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